Counter-stiffener.



G. P. PRESBY.

counrsn snrrfulsn.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 5. |9`l5. v u Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

flneag: y

, aww@ Wma/q,

` counter-stiffening portion UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

GEORGE P.PRESBY, 0F WEST BRIDGEWATER, MASSACHUSETTS. ASSIGNOR TO BECK' WITH BOX TOE COMPANY, 0E DOVER,

NEW HAMPSHIRE, A co1 PonATIoN or MAINE.

COUNTER-STIFEENEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar.' 20, l1917.

- Application filed February 5, 1915. Serial No. 6,25 5.

To aZZ whom it may conce'm." Y l Be it known that I. GEGRGE P. Punsnr, a citizen of. the United States, and resident of lest Bridgewater. in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful improvements. in Counter-Stiffeners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to counter stifeners for'boots and shoes. and its object is to provide a counter stitfener which may be shaped in conformity to the lasted shoe with greater facility than counter stifeners commonly used.

The characteristic feature of the present invention is that 'the counter stifener is made of two different kinds of material. the being made of such as leather and t-he heelseat flange limp 4absorbent marelatively stii1 material the portion which forms being made of relatively terial overlapping and stitched to the coun-f ter-stifening portion. The absorbent niateri'al is impregnated with a suitable hard and adhesive stifl'ening substance which is moisture-proof and which may be readily softened by heat, and the invention con: templates softening the impregnated absorbent material by heat or otherwise prior `to molding the device, and performing the molding operation while the absorbent material is softand comparatively limber. The molding operation may be performed either by molding apparatus before Vthe counter stitfener is assembled with the other elements of a boot or shoe, or itmay be molded while soft and while assembled with the other shoe elements. In thelatter case, the molding operation will be incidental to the lasting operation; that is to say, if an unmolded but softened counter-stiffener blank be assembled with the other slice elements. and the shoe lasted in the usual manner, the pulling over and lasting of the shoe will automatically' mold the counter stiener, andthe latter will set in the form i. 'im )arted to 1t by the lasting operation.

` n the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the present invention;-

.ter-Stifte@bleek@ Figure l represents ane-levation of a coun- Fig. 2 represents, a perspective view of an unmolded blank turved to permit assembling with the other elements of a shoe.

Fig. 3 represents a perspective view of a lnolded counter sti ener.

Fig. i represento a longitudinal section of the heel portion of a last together with the shoe elements wh 3h are assembled for lasti v,' an unmolded C nmterstitl`ener blank being included unil arranged in` position to be molded by the lasting operation.

Fig. 5 represents a view 4similar to Figa showing the shoe elements `as having been lasted, and the counter stiti'ener as. having been molded by sich lasting operation.

Fig. G represents a cross section on a larger scale of a )tortion of a welted shoe on the last. The pla ne ofthis section is in the vicinity of the pane where the shank and heel portions mett, the forward portion of the counter-stiti'eiiing por-tion being shown caught Vby the inseam stitches.

The same. reference characters same parts wherever they occur.

The counter sti tfener comprises two 'members 10 and 11 which are lapped with rela- `tionto each otht r. the lapped portions being fastened together by stitches 1Q. I have shown tworows of suchv stitches. these rows being substantially parallel to the edges of the. lapped porti( ns. The lower edge of the member 10 is inrit-ated at 13 and the upper edge of the member l1 .is indicated at- 14. In practice, the edge 13 will be arranged substantially coitiguous to the edge o f the insole 15 and the counter stitl'ener will preferably be arrang` ed so that the lapped porl tion of 11 will be outside .of the portion 10. The member l0 is composed of any suitable` stift' materiil. such as leather. and the indicate the member 1l is cpnposed ofa limp absorbent j operation,-the bla limit the scope of my invention to any one substance. Any other` substance, having the characteristics liereinbefore described, would serve-the purpose. Montan wax maybe used alone or it muy be blended witha suitable, relatively hard asphalt,l which will melt at approximately 225 F. The tivo h drocarbons above mentioned may be b ended and form an adhesive compound 10 which will melt at 200 F.and will beeome soft, -stic'ky and pliable at l'substantially 160 FQ A blank, such. as

liminary jste'p to performing themol Iing vent to soften the st ifening substance. If the member 11 be heated toatemperature of approximately '1802 F., the 'stiii'ening sub' stance will be softened to such extent thatv the member 1 1 be limber and may be 'molded with gireatfacility to form a heel-seat lan'g'e asindicated at 16 in Fig. 3. If the Stitfeningsubstancebe permitted to set While the counter stilfenerfis in the form shown by Fig. `3, tl1e heelseat'portion-will -retain such; form' butfwill-notaloseiall r'esilience Vor exibility'.' e

.I have' found, howeve'r," that a -separate moldin'g'operation is'not necessary,`for, -if

the unmolded blank'be treated to softe-n the member l11 and while soft is assembled with --thevother' elements of the shoe as shown by Figi 4 and subjected to alasting operation,l 'the member V11 will conform to th'eshape 'of 'the other lasted 'elements asshown. by 'F ig. -5,- andfwill become stuckto the said other elements because of 'the adhesive' quality of the impregnating substance therein. Apvrfionof a lastis indicated at 17 and afshoe uppert and -lining are indicated re- 'member- 11 is 'limber when assembled as s'hoWn"by-'Fig. 4, and. that the lasting opera-` i :tion 'is performed while.the member 1'1 is' e .1 imber, the member 11i will be molded by the.

lasting., operation, and upon -hardenin 'will' set in--its molded condition', and will stick to l f tlieupper 18 .an'd to the lining 19;.

vto

One-purpose in arra'ngin the la ped mar-y ginal dportion of the mem er 10 inside the 'ilappe' A marginal 4portion of the memberll is tognard theyisibleportion of the lining [in thejnishedshoe- 'from the discoloringj 4effect of the i-mpregnating substance. A AMii other purpose of such arrangement@ is #tol keep the tou her Imaterial (leather-) against .the ,lining o the' shoe, where thel Wear oci jcurs asbetyveent'he. Wear'ers foot and Ithe, counter. Stfenen Another purpose is 'to niger 'surfa'ceof the counter stili--v If the edge 1.1. of themember keep that Shawn b rig. 1, -nay be molded before beng'a'ssem led with the vother elements of a shoe, but', as a re or at least the member 11, should be heated'or treated with a solsaidinvention, and described a way of maks 11 were arranged upon the inner side of the member 10, it would come in contact with the lining and would wear away the lining more rapidly. There is still another reason for the arrangement in uestion. The connection between the mem rs, 10 and 11 depends upon ,the stitches'12. In consequence of arranging thev lapped portion of the member 10 upon the inner slde ofthe member 11, thefmember 11l is bent upon the edge 13 as shown by- Figs. 5-and 6, saidedge relieving the vStitches of some of the stress to which they a-re` subjected when the mem- 'ber 11 is drawn inwardly and when the shoe -is expanded by the wearers footl This invention contemplates sewing the inseam whilethe member 11 is soft.' 'The counter stilfener is long enough to be lapped by a4 welt strip 20, in' the case of a. v velted shoe. An inseam stitch is indicated at 21. A very serious ditliculty attending the-manufacture of boots and shoes, especially low shoes andf pumps, has been the dilliculty of forming a close tight inseam at the oints Where4 the counter Istifl'ener is caug t by the inseam stitches. The material of which most counter, stileners are made is so stili' that it would be impossible to draw, tuck or otherwise form the counter stil'ener snugly into the angle formed by the lip'22`and, feather 2 3- ofthe insole. 4If the material of the counter stiifener is too stiff, 4itwvill bridge across vsaidangle 'and 'leave -a. cavity, causing the shoe to bulge at -the sides of the's'hank and setting' the inseam *stitches so far out fromthe lip that, when the outsole is 'stitched on, theroutsole fstitchesvare unduly set out from the lip of the insole; The outsole stitches are thus in a-great many cases forced -to lie upon or be. yond the line upon which the outsole is to be trimmed.' These difficulties all grow out of the inabilityv to' form a tight inseam Where the ends .of the* counter still'ener are pres- 4' ent. It will be readily understood that these difliculties yare overcome 'by my presenty infvent-ion, provided the member 11 is forced into the angle when it is'infa soft -limber condition I t will also be understood that-the abilityof'the heated member 11 to conform fto the angle of the insole applies. to turned shoes as Well as to 'TWelt "shoes. I f desired, the inseam may be made While the 'member -11 is soft andpliable'and thus insure its Abeing forced into the'y angle.

)Haring thus explained the nature of my ing and using the same, although -without attempting to set .fort-l1 all of the'forms in which it may be--made or all of the modes'of itsuse, what I-claim is:- A counter sti'ener comprising acounter .-member, a. heelfs'eat mem er composed of absorbent sheet material impregnated' with a. stilening moisture-proof adhesive substance, whereby it is rendered `relatively sti at ordinary atmospheric temperatures but becomes limp and pliable with the application of a moderate degree of heat, said heel-seat member having a heel-seat Ilan and an' upstanding .flange adjoining t e outer marginal Vportion of sald heel-seat `flange, the lower marginal portion of said ll0 counter member being arranged inside andl in lapped relation to said upstanding flange, and fastening means arranged to connect the portions so f apped.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in pr asence of two witnesses.

4( flazoRGE P. PREsBY.

Witnesses: v

MARCUS 1i. MAY, WlLLIAM A. STUBBs. 

